Ancient Aliens Debunked – What Is Actually Right

Ancient Aliens is arguably one of History Channel’s most controversial productions, having often received criticism for its rather eldritch claims and theories. This is a show that essentially tries to convince us that humanity has, in fact, encountered extraterrestrial species in the past. The biggest pet peeve that critics and (especially) scientists have with this production is that it majorly erases some of humanity’s greatest accomplishments by claiming it was aliens who did the actual deed. In case you’ve never had the pleasure of watching an episode, you likely know about it because the Ancient Aliens guy is so famous.

Not everyone was able to have a good laugh at the Ancient Aliens meme and brush off the crazy theories – like the one which claims the pyramids were built by our friendly neighborhood aliens. Chris White, a skeptic with a good reason, decided to gnaw at the speculations of the History Channel production. He, therefore, released a three-hour-long documentary titled Ancient Aliens Debunked, which goes through some of the most raving conspiracy theories of the show and, well, debunks them.

Let’s start by dissecting the premise of this whole show, the “ancient aliens theory.” Those who believe in it consider that the evolution of humankind is a direct aftermath of past encounters with alien species that have visited our planet. Everything regarding humanity’s evolution from the homo-sapiens stage to some of our greatest technological accomplishments can be attributed to the benevolence of extraterrestrial civilizations.

It’s not as if it’s a particularly toilsome task to counter the Ancient Aliens evidence (mostly because there isn’t a lot to begin with), but Chris White really went out of his way to provide pertinent explanations and proof. Here are only a few examples that can make even an avid believer of this theory doubt the veracity of the words spoken by Giorgio on Ancient Aliens.

UFO Paintings

One of the most invoked pieces of evidence that believers of the Ancient Astronaut theory constantly turn to is the alleged depiction of UFOs in medieval paintings. One of the Ancient Aliens episodes actually revolves around this topic, bringing into discussion several artworks with a religious basis that feature bizarre objects hovering in the sky. According to History Channel’s Ancient Aliens, these objects are UFOs, captured by painters. Therefore, they serve as proof for generations to come of encounters with otherworldly visitors.

However, ask any history of art major and they will be able to confirm what Chris White claims in Ancient Aliens Debunked. These floating objects are a common theme in Byzantine period paintings, especially as far as crucifixion depictions go. Upon a closer look at the paintings so often invoked by Ancient Astronaut believers, you may notice that they all have faces. This is because it was traditional to include the sun and the moon in works of art, often by giving them human-like faces. Even the situation of the controversial picture used above is explained in the documentary as nothing but a depiction of a Bible passage.

The Pyramids

The Great Pyramid at Giza has been subject to countless conspiracy theories due to its marvelous structure and architectural genius. Many wonder how it was possible to even build it, due to its impressive height, heaviness of the used materials, and questionable means through which constructors were able to lift the pieces. Some people believe it was dinosaurs who built the great pyramids; some believe the construction was possible through the intervention of alien forces. Needless to say, the Giza pyramids are the favorite turn-to mysteries when in need of ancient proof of aliens.

In Ancient Aliens Debunked, Chris White takes every piece of proof the History Channel show offers one by one and essentially explains why there isn’t actually any basis for it. Ancient Aliens claims that there was no way Egyptians could have cut the granite used for the pyramid’s construction with the technical means they had at that time. Seemingly, it was only possible through the use of alien diamond-tip weaponry. But, wait – it also strongly believes that the only way to get all those materials so high up was by levitating the blocks.

However, all of these claims are rebutted; not just by Chris White, but by historians who can confirm that Egyptians did, in fact, have access to means to build the Great Pyramid at Giza. Archeologists have discovered much backup evidence, including the fact that the pyramid’s material was actually a mix of limestone and sandstone. Moreover, Egyptians definitely could have lifted the blocks through the use of plain sleds and papyrus ropes, as supported by the many artwork depictions of the construction process.

Easter Island

Most of us are familiar with the stone sculptures on the Easter Island, referred to by locals as the Moai. They didn’t manage to elude the curiosity of the Ancient Aliens TV show either. The show’s producers have plenty of questions. How were they built? How did they get there? Who or what built them? They are made to be complete mysteries, despite the fact that countless pieces of evidence provide answers to all of these questions.

When archeologists unearthed the sculptures, they found several of them abandoned mid-construction. They took photographs, which we can easily find online, and which tell us the story of how they were built. It seems like Ancient Aliens is aware of that, which is why they insist on another question: how could the Moai have been transported via a wood sled when there are no trees on the island? It’s pretty strange to assume that there have never been any trees on the island, but perhaps even stranger to claim that there was no way to get wood otherwise. Regardless, Chris White complies and offers in-depth explanations for this theory as well.

Believe what you want to believe. There’s definitely no one to stop you. Ancient Aliens isn’t the first conglomerate of people that strongly believe in alien conspiracy theories, as loony as some of them may sound to us. This means they definitely won’t be the last. The History Channel show and the Chris White documentary both provide points of views as different as the sun and the moon. Perhaps only one of them is right, perhaps no one is right, or maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle. Either way, Ancient Aliens Debunked definitely seems to have the better support of solid proof so far, so we can only side with Chris White this time. No offense to the Ancient Aliens guy, we definitely had a lot of laughs thanks to him.